2020 Kia Niro: Review, Trims, Specs, Price, New Interior Features, Exterior Design, and Specifications

$24,690 - $32,950

Price Range (MSRP)

2020 Kia Niro For Sale

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2020 Kia Niro Review: The Anti-Prius

by Cobus F. Potgieter

The 2020 Kia Niro is an in-between hybrid car, straddling the line between 4-door hatchback and compact crossover. On sale in the US since the 2017 model year in its first generation, this hybrid crossover utilizes a 1.56 kWh battery and electric motor to supplement a 1.6-liter gasoline 4-cylinder engine. System outputs are 139 horsepower, sent to a front-wheel drive system via a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, but the headline is a 50 mpg gas mileage rating that puts it firmly in the same ballpark as rivals like the Toyota Prius and Hyundai Ioniq. Combining Kia's typical style with the practicality and popularity of a crossover seems like a surefire winner. The reality, however, is a middling drive that will only appeal to those who view a vehicle as nothing more than an appliance and value world-beating gas mileage.

Read in this review:

Exterior Design 8 /10
Performance 5 /10
Fuel Economy 9 /10
Interior & Cargo 8 /10
Infotainment & Features 8 /10
Reliability 8 /10
Safety 9 /10
Value For Money 9 /10

8.0

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2020 Kia Niro Changes: What’s The Difference vs The 2019 Kia Niro?

For its mid-cycle refresh in the US, the 2020 Kia Niro hybrid receives a myriad of enhancements and alterations as well as a reshuffling of trim levels. Cosmetic updates for the new model year include a new diamond-patterned grille, new headlights with new LED daytime running lights in a double-chevron arrangement, a wider, more pronounced rear faux skid plate, redesigned taillights, and new 16- and 18-inch wheel designs. There's also a new instrument panel featuring a seven-inch digital gauge cluster that has been updated with improved drive-mode graphics, an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system has been made standard and a 10.25-inch unit optional. Also newly optional are steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters that offer a sportier driving experience and improved active regenerative braking control, there's an electronic parking brake available, too, as well as in-cabin mood lighting with six different colors. Some trim-specific changes include forward-collision avoidance, blind-spot warning, and lane-keep assist on the new LXS trim, a standard sunroof on the Touring, and synthetic leather seats with the larger infotainment display on the top-end EX Premium.

Pros and Cons

Attractive exterior styling
Modern, easy-to-use infotainment
Spacious and well-finished cabin
Impressive practicality and cargo space
Superb fuel economy
Very good safety rating
Excellent expected reliability

Ride and handling are middling
Short on power and performance
No all-wheel drive available
Powertrain refinement lacking

Best Deals on 2020 Kia Niro

2020 Kia Niro LX

$19,750

56,290 miles

Good Deal

$3,500 below

2020 Kia Niro LXS

$22,553

32,876 miles

Fair Deal

$1,700 below

2020 Kia Niro LX

$20,733

51,159 miles

Good Deal

$2,800 below

2020 Kia Niro LXS

$25,990

30,487 miles

Fair Deal

$1,700 above

See All Niro For Sale

2020 Kia Niro Trims

See trim levels and configurations:

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drivetrain	Price (MSRP)
LX	1.6L Inline-4 Hybrid	6-Speed Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	$24,690
LXS	1.6L Inline-4 Hybrid	6-Speed Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	$26,090
Touring	1.6L Inline-4 Hybrid	6-Speed Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	$28,390
Plug-In Hybrid LXS	1.6L Inline-4 Plug-in Hybrid	6-Speed Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	$29,490
Touring SE	1.6L Inline-4 Hybrid	6-Speed Automatic	Front-Wheel Drive	$30,950

See All 2020 Kia Niro Trims and Specs

2020 Niro Exterior

Kia

Kia

Kia

See All 2020 Kia Niro Exterior Photos

Dimensions

Length 171.5 in
Wheelbase 106.3 in
Height 60.4 in
Max Width 71.1 in
Front Width 61.6 in
Rear Width 62.2 in

Exterior Colors

Runway Red +$295
Aurora Black Pearl +$395
Snow White Pearl +$395
Deep Cerulean
Silky Silver
Platinum Graphite
Horizon Blue
Horizon Blue, Build Out: 04/24/2020
Solar Orange

2020 Niro Performance

Kia

Kia

Kia

Engine and Transmission

Engines

1.6L Inline-4 Hybrid, 1.6L Inline-4 Plug-in Hybrid
Transmission

6-Speed Automatic
Drivetrain

FWD

2020 Niro Interior

Kia

Kia

Kia

See All 2020 Kia Niro Interior Photos

Seating and Interior Space

Seating capacity

5-seater

Front Leg Room 41.7 in
Front Head Room 40.1 in
Rear Leg Room 37.4 in
Rear Head Room 39.1 in

2020 Niro Trunk and Cargo Space

Kia

Kia

Kia

2020 Niro Safety and Reliability

Warranty

Basic:
5 Years \ 60,000 Miles
Drivetrain:
10 Years \ 100,000 Miles
Corrosion:
5 Years \ 100,000 Miles
Hybrid/Electric Components:
10 Years \ 100,000 Miles
Roadside Assistance:
5 Years \ 60,000 Miles

US NHTSA Crash Test Result

Overall Rating
Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Side Crash Rating
Rollover Rating

Verdict: Is the 2020 Kia Niro A Good crossover?

If you want a high-riding hatchback with an extremely efficient powertrain, the 2020 Niro hybrid CUV fits the bill perfectly. It's a seriously attractive offering in its class and the things it's good at, it does very well. Among these are the excellent infotainment system, its top warranty cover, and its exemplary efficiency. However, these good traits struggle to paper over some of its most obvious flaws, the most notable being that you can't have AWD and it has no rated towing capacity. If these aren't deal-breakers, you'd still be a little put out that Kia couldn't get the ride/handling balance quite right. To add insult to injury, performance is middling at best and the typical dual-clutch pull-away lag and its occasional indecisiveness detracts from the experience. If you can live with the flaws, it's a very attractive and well-equipped compact crossover-cum-hatchback.